About the Summit
Although wildfire is not a new concern in Western North Carolina, the region is experiencing heightened risks due to the widespread impacts of Hurricane Helene on the region, though a combination of environmental factors that affect both natural ecosystems and urban infrastructure. On Thursday, June 26, 2025, the Buncombe County Emergency Management Service and the North Carolina Forest Service hosted the Western North Carolina Wildfire Summit at the Ferguson Auditorium of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, in Asheville, NC. The event was designed to provide a venue for attendees to learn about best practices and explore innovative solutions, share lessons learned, and strengthen partnerships to build a more wildfire-resilient future. Key goals of the event were to help participants evaluate and understand current and future wildfire risks, assess available resources, identify gaps in preparedness, and promote collaboration among different agencies. Participants included emergency management professionals, wildfire experts, community leaders, and state and federal partners. Presentations and other resources from the event are provided below.NCICS Support
For the staff at NCICS, the issue of wildfire risk in Western North Carolina is both a professional and a personal concern, and we have been working closely with other academic institutions and partners from city, county, state, and federal governments to help our community better understand, prepare for, and respond to wildfire risks. We were pleased to be able to support this important summit by creating materials that incorporated audience feedback and enhancing stakeholder participation through on-site engagement efforts.
Contact Information
Event Organizers
- Ryan Cole at ryan.cole@buncombenc.gov
- Michael Cheek at michael.cheek@ncagr.gov
- Chris Lenwood at christopher.lenwoodsr@fema.dhs.gov
At NCICS
- Liz Cox at eecox2@ncsu.edu
- Jenny Dissen at jparmar@ncsu.edu
- Jennifer Runkle at jrrunkle@ncsu.edu
Presentations
- Black Cove Complex Fire: Polk County Emergency Management – Bobby Arledge, Polk County Emergency Management Director
- Black Cove Complex Lessons Learned – Michael Good, Incident Commander, North Carolina Forest Service (NCFS)
- Chimney Tops Fire (2016) and 2016 Wildfires – Jimmy Isaacs, Fire Chief, Boone, NC
- Hazard Mitigation – Steve McGugan, Assistant Director–State Hazard Mitigation Director, NC Department of Public Safety
- Helene and Wildfire Risk in North Carolina – Kevin Harvell, Deputy State Forester, NCFS and Michael Cheek, Mountain Division Director, NCFS
- Homeowner Engagement – Hannah Thompson-Welch, Wildfire Mitigation Specialist, NCFS
- North Carolina Forest Service Prevention and Mitigation Programs – Robbie Perry, Fire Chief, NCFS
- Potential Operational Delineation (PODs) – US Department of Agriculture, Region 8
- Understanding the Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) Program: Supporting Local and State Response to Wildfire Disasters – Michelle Rose, FMAG Progam Lead, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
- Unified Messaging During a Wildfire – Jen Bunty, National Forests in NC, Disaster Assistance Recovery Team
- USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NCRS) – Zack Davis, Soil Conservationist, US Department of Agriculture
Other Resources
- Wildfire Risk in Western North Carolina: Urgent Priorities in the Post-Helene Landscape – Jenny Dissen and Jen Runkle, North Carolina Institute For Climate Studies
- High-Resolution Forest Mapping: 2024 Hurricane Helene in the southern Appalachians – HiForm
- North Carolina Wildfire Public Viewer – NCFS
- Volunteer Fire Assistance Program – NCFS
- Hurricane Helene Resources – North Carolina State Climate Office
- Helene’s Damage Presents Fire Management, Monitoring Challenges – North Carolina State Climate Office
- AirNow.gov – US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA)
- AirNow.gov Be Smoke Ready – US EPA
- EPA Smoke Ready Toolbox for Wildfires – US EPA
- Wildfire Guide Factsheet – US EPA
- Narrated Version of Children’s Book, Why is CocoRed? – US EPA
- Southern Fire Exchange Smoke Resources – Southern Fire Exchange (SFE)
- SFE Fact Sheet – Wildland Fire Smoke Effects on Public Health – SFE
- Southeast Prescribed Fire Update – Smoke Management – North Carolina State University
- Wildfire Retrofitting Guide – Fire Safe Marin, Marin County, California
- Southern Blue Ridge Fire Learning Network – Fire Networks
- Creating a Wildfire Protection Plan – Federal Emergency Management Agency